Christmas Trees and Story Telling
by The Author Number Two
Summary: Story about Will's first Chrismas apprenticed to Halt sorry if they were in Skandia or something at that time - just pretend , and he's complaining about hafting to decorate a tree. So Halt tells him a story about Gilan's first Christmas with him.


_Okay, my first Rangers Apprentice fic, so read and review to let me know if I should write more. Flames welcomed._

"Why do we have to decorate the tree, Halt?"

It was Will's first Christmas since being apprentice to the grizzled Ranger, and he had been looking forward to a day off from training, maybe gong to see his friends at Redmont castle. What he had not been looking forward to, or expecting for that matter, was a three mile trek through the forest in order to decorate some old tree.

"It's traditional." Was his mentor's grunted reply.

"But _why _is it traditional?" Persisted Will, then, seeing Halt's raised eyebrow; "I mean, why is it traditional for you?"

"Long story."

"I'm listening." He replied, slightly braver than usual in the hope that Halt would be merciful in the spirit of the season.

Sometimes Halt was certain that his apprentice only asked these kinds of questions to irritate him.

"Come on Halt!" Definitely to irritate him. "I could be at the castle right now if it wasn't for this blasted tree."

"Language." Said the Ranger automatically, then sighed in annoyance. He might as well tell Will, if only to shut him up for a bit. It wasn't like it was a secret. Half the corps knew the rather embarrassing story.

"It was Gilan's first Christmas here…" He said and the memories filled his head…

**********

Halt had never really celebrated Christmas before, so when he awoke to the young Gilan's shouting, his first reaction was that something was dangerously wrong.

However, when he rushed into the small kitchen/living room, he saw that it was quite the opposite.

There was coffee and plates of slightly burned bacon on the table, a fire in the grill and an apprentice dancing around singing Christmas carols. It was this singing that Halt had earlier mistaken for shouts of alarm.

"Halt!" Exclaimed his apprentice, running up to his teacher and hugging his tight, "Merry Christmas! I made breakfast! And coffee! I woke up really early!"

Gilan continued in this manner throughout breakfast, talking with his mouth full. Then, taking his last gulp of honey-filled coffee;

"Close your eyes!"

"Hmglf?" Taken by surprise and mouth full of bacon, this was the most intelligent thing that Halt could say.

"I'm going to give you your present!" Explained Gilan as if this was perfectly normal. Which it probably was – for him. Halt hadn't received a gift in years. More to the point, he hadn't given one. He had nothing to give his apprentice in return.

Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and stuck out his hand. The object Gilan placed in it was rough and wooden, slightly heavy.

"Open your eyes now!" Demanded the boy and Halt did.

Gilan had given him a carving of an oak-leaf, like a larger, wooden version of the one he wore around his neck.

"I carved it myself!" The apprentice announced proudly, "I thought we could put it on the tree."

"Um…there is no tree." Said Halt guiltily.

"Oh." Said Gilan, disappointed for a second. But he quickly perked up again, "Can I have my present now?"

Halt looked uncomfortable. "Ummmmm…" He said awkwardly, "It's a surprise. For later."

But Gilan's bottom lip was already quivering. "You didn't get me one, did you?" He asked quietly.

"Ah…no," Halt said slowly, "but I can get you one at the market tomorrow." He was speaking to an empty room. Gilan had run crying to his room before Halt could even offer his compromise.

**********

"Tactful." Said Will, grinning.

Halt shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that he celebrated Christmas?"

"Most people do."

Halt shrugged again. "He was my first apprentice. Don't worry. I got you something."

"Sure you did. So what happened then?" Will's grin grew bigger. Seemed Halt was in a particularly placid mood today. He hadn't threatened him or his backside once.

"Well if you wanted to know, you wouldn't interrupt, would you?" Seemed the no-threats trend could end soon.

"Sorry. Continue."

**********

About an hour later, an awkward Halt knocked hesitantly on Gilan's door.

"Go away!" Said a shaky voice from inside.

"Um…" Halt wondered what he had been going to say, came up blank and decided to improvise; "I was wondering if you'd like to go for a ride in the snow…"

This time Gilan did open the door, trying desperately to wipe the tears from his face. "Really? I used to do that with my dad every year."

Halt sighed with relief; finally he'd got something right.

"Yep. Really. I even saddled Blaze for you."

A small smile appeared on his apprentice's face, and he ran down the short hallway and out the door, and was already bouncing up and down in the saddle when Halt followed a few seconds later.

"Where are we going?" The boy asked eagerly.

"Don't know."

"Oh. Can I lead, then?"

"No."

Gilan's eyes started to water dangerously, and Halt sighed. "How about I lead on the way there, and you lead on the way back?"

"I thought you said you didn't know where you were going?"

Halt just glared at him and mounted Abelard.

**********

"Awww…" Said Will, "Cute."

"He was not cute!" Sid Halt with some feeling, "He was…he was…"

"Cute?"

"No! Evil!"

Will knew laughing probably wasn't a good idea, but he couldn't help it.

"So what happened then?" He sniggered.

But Halt seemed to have lost the heart for story telling.

"We rode out and decorated the tree, and the oak-leaf got place of honour and Gilan was finally happy," the Ranger recounted "And the next day I went into market and bought him a woolen jumper which he wore until the long sleeves were up around his elbows and I forced him to throw it away…and we've decorated the tree ever since. The end."

"But Halt," Complained Will, "You missed the most important bit! What about the happily ever after? How do we know that they don't get murdered by bandits the next day?"

Halt turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Do I look dead?"

"Well…I don't know…attacked by a bear or something?"

"And what if they were?"

Halt took one look at his apprentice's wide-eyed look and sighed. "Fine. They both lived happily ever after until the Ranger got a new annoying apprentice who asked too many questions. Happy?"

Will just nodded contentedly and Halt actually thought that he would shut up and leave him alone for a while. He was wrong.

"Race you!" The boy suddenly yelled, spurring Tug into a gallop.

Halt groaned. "Do you even know the way?" He yelled at the retreating figure.

"Nup." Will replied cheerily over his shoulder, already 500 metres away.

Halt just rolled his eyes and galloped after his apprentice.


End file.
